Summary Criminology 310 Exam Notes (Section A, Unit 10)

Criminology 310. Exam notes.
Unit 10. Conflict Perspectives.

DISCUSS THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS BETWEEN MAINSTREAM AND
CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY. (10 MARKS)
The divisions that characterize criminology are based on the different assumptions that
theories and perspectives people make about the nature of crime, people, society and reality.
The underlying assumptions on which the different criminologists are based are briefly
described below, with these assumptions organized into 5 areas.
a. The definition of crime.
 Mainstream criminologists assume that crime is best defined in terms of
violations of the criminal law.
 Critical criminologists strongly challenge this assumption, arguing that
mainstream criminologists let the state define their subject matter for them.
 As a result, mainstream criminologists ignore many harmful behaviours that are
not in violation of the law.
 Critical criminologists propose several alternative definitions of crime, most of
which focus on acts that are “blameworthy’ and harmful, although developing
precise definitions of harm and blameworthiness has been a challenge.
 Mainstream criminologists claim that critical criminologists draw heavily on
their own values and political agendas when defining crime, undermining the
scientific status of the discipline.

b. Determinism versus agency.
 Most mainstream criminologists assume or act as if crime is fully
determined by forces beyond the individual’s control. These forces include a
range of biological, psychological, and social factors.
 Critical criminologists and certain others place great stress on agency or the
ability of people to exert some independent influence on their thoughts and
behaviour. These criminologists do not deny that people are influenced by a
range of factors, but they claim that people are sometimes able to transcend
the forces to which they are subject.

c. The nature of human nature.
 There is much disagreement regarding human nature among criminologists.
 Some argue that people are self-interested; they seek to satisfy their needs and
desires in the most expedient manner, with little concern for others.
 Others claim that people are socially concerned; they desire close ties to
others, are quick to conform, and are reluctant to harm innocent others. Still
others state that people are “blank slates”; they have few natural inclinations
and are instead shaped by their social environment.

, d. The nature of society.
 Most mainstream criminologists assume that society is characterised by
consensus. People hold similar values, with everyone agreeing that certain
behaviours are wrong and should be punished. People have compatible goals,
such that goal achievement by some fosters goal achievement by others. And
when people do compete, they agree on the rules of competition.
 Most critical criminologists, however, argue that society is characterized by
conflict. The members of different groups disagree over core values,
particularly which behaviours are wrong and should be punished. And groups
have conflicting goals. Most notably, the members of more groups want to
maintain or enhance their privileged position. The members of less-privileged
groups want to improve their position. Conflict is the result, with more-
privileged groups oppressing those in less-privileged groups.
e. The nature of reality.
 Most mainstream criminologists and certain others believe that there is an
objective reality “out there” that can be accurately measured. They focus on
developing the single best measures of this reality.
 Many critical criminologists argue that different people hold different views
in the world, and they focus on measuring these different views since they
exert the major effect on behaviour – including crime. Some critical
criminologists claim that there is no objective reality “out there”, rather there
are multiple subjective realities.
These assumptions are the foundations upon which mainstream critical theories of
crime are built. They define the scope of the field; that is, the types of acts that
criminologists should and should not study. Mainstream criminologists focus on violations of
the criminal law, while critical criminologists consider many acts that are not technically in
violation of the law. In particular, critical criminologists devote much attention to the harmful
acts committed by states, corporations, and powerful actors as they seek to maintain or
enhance their privileged position.
DISCUSS GENERAL MARXIST THEORY (5 MARKS)
 Two classes:
 Proletariat (working class)
 Bourgeoisie (ruling class)
 Owning the means of production versus working in the factories
 Exploitation (labour price vs value of products)
 Crisis: under-consumption vs less competition
 Ideological differences and class struggle.
In Marx’s view, there exist two primary classes in any capitalist society: THE
PROLETARIAT (i.e. the working class), and THE BOURGEOIS (i.e. the capitalist ruling
class). The bourgeoisie own the means of production (e.g. the factories). The proletariat own
very little and must sell their labour to the bourgeois to make ends meet. The bourgeoisie,
exploit the proletariat because they pay them far less than the value of what they produce As
such, Marx claimed that the interests of the bourgeoisie and proletariat are